Door actuated dispenser having bellows as timing means

ABSTRACT

Dispensing apparatus including means for supporting a bellows and aerosol container containing deoderant or the like and having a depression actuated spray valve, at the inside of a door with a depending rigid member interposed in bearing relationship between the bellows and valve. The apparatus further includes a pivotal cam with one end bearing against the distal end of the bellows with respect to the rigid member, and a second end positioned for engagement with the door jamb upon closing of the door. When the door is closed, the cam is actuated against the bellows to urge the bellows and associated rigid member against the valve, thereby depressing same and effecting dispensing of the contents of the aerosol can. Thereafter, air escapes from the bellows through a small vent opening to permit collapse of the bellows and return of the valve to its unactuated position, thereby insuring a single discharge of spray from the valve.

United States Patent Karr [15] 3,680,739 [451 Aug. 1, 1972 [54] DOOR ACTUATED DISPENSER HAVING BELLOWS AS TIMING MEANS [72] Inventor:' Paul F. Karr, 31835 Chicoine Ave.,

Hayward, Calif. 94544 [22] Filed: April 21, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 136,144

[52] US. Cl. ..222/70, 222/180, 251/23, 267/123 [51] Int. Cl. ..'..B65d 83/14 [58] Field of Search ..222/160, 180, 477, 505, 70, 222/394; 221/16; 267/114,.122, 123; 251/20,

[56] 7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,344,959 10/1967 Faso ..222/394 2,947,509 8/ 1960 Smitley et a1. ..267/ 123 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,045,133 10/1966 Great Britain ..222/ 180 Primary Examiner-Samue1 F. Coleman Assistant ExaminerDavid A. Scherbel Attorney-Harris Zimmerman [57] ABSTRACT Dispensing apparatus including means for supporting a bellows and aerosol container containing deoderant or the like and having a depression actuated spray valve, at the inside of a door with a depending rigid member interposed in bearing relationship between the bellows and valve. The apparatus further includes a pivotal cam with one end bearing against the distal-end of the bellows with respect to the rigid member, and a second end positioned for engagement with the door jamb upon closing of the door. When the door is closed, the cam is actuated against the bellows to urge the bellows and associated rigid member against the valve, thereby depressing same and effecting dispensing of the contents of the aerosol can. Thereafter, air escapes from the bellows through a small vent opening to permit collapse of the bellows and return of the valve to its unactuated position, thereby insuring a single discharge of spray from the valve.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures rmmz'nwc 1 m2 3.680139 Lj/ INVENTOR.

PAUL F. KARR ATTORNEY DOOR ACTUATED DISPENSER HAVING BELLOWS AS TIMING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION plexity and attendent relatively highcost of such existing devices, their widespread household use has been precluded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to' a door actuated dispenser, and is more'particularly directed to such a dispenser which is of relatively simple low cost design so as to be particularly well suited to household use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door actuated dispensing mechanism arranged to dispense a single spray discharge of deoderant from a commercially available aerosol valve dispensing can responsive to each closure of the door.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a dispenser of the class described which ischaracterized by a simple inexpensive bellows valve actuating mechanism to deliver a metered spray discharge of the contents of the can in response to normal closure of the door.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispenser of the class described hereinbefore wherein the time and amount of the spray discharge may be readily predetermined. r

In the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, a door actuated dispenser in accordance with the present invention generally includes means for readily securing an aerosol can of the conventional depressible spray valve actuated variety to the inside of a door, such means being arranged to also support a bellows and associated rigid member in contact with the depressible valve'of the can. The

' dispenser also includes a pivotal actuating cam having one end contacting the valve and the other end positioned for pivoting engagement with the door jamb upon closure of the door, such cam thereby urging the bellows and rigid member into depressing engagement with the valve to cause spray dispensing of the contents of the can in response to closure of the door. The bellows is provided with a vent opening for the escape of air subsequent to door closure, thereby permitting collapse of the bellows and return of the valve .tounactuated position. The size of the vent opening determines the time required for return of the valve to unactuated position and thus the metered amount of material sprayed from the can. The vent also facilitates the inlet of air to permit expansion of the bellows to a normal unactuated position subsequent to opening of the door.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door actuated dispenser in accordance with the present invention illustrated in mounted position on a door.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the dispenser of Figure l, the dispenser being depicted in normal unactuated position.

Figure 3 is. a view similar to Figure 2, but with the dispenser in actuated returned position subsequent to closure of the door. I

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 in particular, a door actuated dispenser 11, in accordance with the present invention will be seen to include a spring clip 12 for gripping engagement with the upper end of a door 13, the clip including a depending back plate 14 which engages the inner side of the door. A

housing 16 projects from the opposite side edges of plate 14 in arcuate bridging relation thereto, and such housing is open at the top and closed at the bottom by means of a base plate 17. A decorative cover 15 is releasably attached to the plate 14 and provided with an aperture 20 in alignment with a spray valve, later to be described. At the lower end of the back plate 14 there is provided a resilient C-clamp l8 subjacent housing base plate 17 arranged to support a conventional depressible spray valve actuated aerosol can 19 containing room deodorant or the like. More particularly, the clamp resiliently encompasses the periphery of the can and engages the underside of a bead 21 thereof to thereby support the can. The canincludes the usual depressible spray valve 22 at its upper end which upon depression dispenses a spray of the contents of the can.

Within the'housing 16 there is disposed a bellows 23 having an associated rigid member 24 at its lower end depending through an aperture 26 in the base plate 17 into contact with the top end of the depressible spray valve 22. More particularly, the rigid member 24 is preferably of funnel shaped configuration including a stem 27 depending from a bowl 28. The stem freely slidably traverses the aperture 26 and is supported atop the valve. The bowl may be integrally provided with the lower end of the bellows, or if separate therefrom may serve to freely receivably support same. In addition, the upper end of the bellows is formed with a cap 29 having a small diameter vent passage 31 extending therethrough for the flow of air to and from the interior of the bellows. The size of the vent passage thus determines the rate of collapse and expansion of the bellows. The dispenser 11 further includes an actuating cam 32 at its upper end for depressing the valve 22, through the intermediary of the bellows 23 and rigid member 24, in response to closureof the door 13. In this regard, an intermediate portion of the cam 32 is pivotally secured, as indicated at 33, to the back plate 14 adjacent its upper end. One end of the cam bears against the bellows end cap 29 and the opposite end projects beyond the upper end of the door 13 for downward pivoting effecting engagement with a door jamb 34 (see FIG. 3) upon closure of the door. More particularly, a pair of parallel spaced-apart vertically extending rails 36 preferably project centrally from the back plate 14 with the cam 32 pivotally mounted between their upper ends. The rails also serve as inner guides for maintaining the bellows 23 in vertical position. The first end of the cam is preferably provided with a threaded bore receiving an adjusting screw 37, the head of which bears, against the bellows end cap 29. The screw facilitates adjustment of the extent of depression of the valve 22 effected by the cam upon door closure in order to accommodate slight variations in this characteristic between different varieties of aerosol cans.

With the dispenser 11 provided in the manner physically described thereinbefore, it will be noted that when the door 13 is open, the valve 22 is in its normal unactuated extended position andthe bellows 23 is in a normal expanded condition as shown in FIG. 2, The cam 32 is at this time in a normal unactuated counterclockwise pivoted position with its second end projecting beyond the upper edge of the door. When the door is closed in a normal manner, the cam strikes the door jamb 34 and is pivoted clockwise to an actuated position as shown in FIG. 3. The screw 37 at the first end of the cam in engaging the bellows cap 29 urges the bellows downward. By virtue of the small size of the vent passage 31, the bellows cannot immediately collapse and initially remains in relatively rigid expanded condition. The bellows and its associated member 24 are thus urged downward by the cam to depress the valve 22 and thereby effect a spray discharge of deoderant from the aerosol can 19. Thereafter, the bellows collapses under the return force of the spring typically associated with the valve in a time determined by the size of the vent passage 31. Thus, although the cam holds the bellows in a downwardly displaced position, collapse of the bellows permits return of the valve to unactuated position to thereby terminate the spray discharge from the can. Asa result, a metered amount of spray discharge in dispensed from the can determined by the time required for bellows collapse.

When the door is opened and the cam 32 is released, the bellows 23 returns, after a short time, to its normal expanded condition by air entering the bellows interior through vent passage 31. The expansion of the bellows moves the cam counterclockwise to its normal unactuated position preparatory to the initiation of another dispensing cycle by closure of the door.

I claim:

1. Dispensing apparatus comprising support means adapted for securance to the inside of a door adjacent the upper end thereof, an aerosol can releasably carried by said support means and having a depression actuated spray valve at its upper end, a bellows having a whereby responsive to door closure said cam urges said bellows and rigid member downward into depressing engagement with said valve and said bellows subsequently collapses to permit return of said valve to ated osition. i ispe ing apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said first end of said cam having a threaded bore engaged by an adjusting screw, said screw having a head bearing against said upper end of said bellows.

3. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said support means comprising a spring clip for gripping engagement with the upper end of said door, a back plate depending from said clip for engaging the inner side of said door, a generally U-shaped housing projecting from opposite side edges of said plate in arcuate bridging relation thereto, said housing having an open upper end and a base plate closing its lower end, said base plate having an aperture therethrough, and a resilient C-clamp projecting from said back plate subjacent said housing, said clamp gripping the periphery of said can, said bellows disposed within said housing with said rigid member slidably extending through said aperture in said base plate into contact with said valve, said cam pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of said back plate.

4. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, further defined by said rigid member being of funnel shaped configuration including a bowl and stem depending therefrom, said stem slidably extending through said aperture in said base plate and said bowl engaging the lower end of said bellows.

5. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, further defined by said first end of said cam having a threaded bore engaged by an adjusting screw, said screw having a head bearing against said upper end of said bellows.

6. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 5, further defined by a pair of parallel spaced-apart vertically extending guide rails projecting from said back plate to maintain said bellows in a vertical position, said cam being pivotally mounted between the upper ends of said guide rails. 

1. Dispensing apparatus comprising support means adapted for securance to the inside of a door adjacent the upper end thereof, an aerosol can releasably carried by said support means and having a depression actuated spray valve at its upper end, a bellows having a small vent passage to its interior, said support means being arranged to support said bellows in overlying relation to said can, a rigid member interposed in bearing relation between the lower end of said bellows and the upper end of said spray valve, and a pivotal cam mounted on said support means, said cam having a first end bearing against the upper end of said bellows and a second end positioned for pivoting effecting engagement with a door jamb upon closure of said door, whereby responsive to door closure said cam urges said bellows and rigid member downward into depressing engagement with said valve and said bellows subsequently collapses to permit return of said valve to unactuated position.
 2. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said first end of said cam having a threaded bore engaged by an adjusting screw, said screw having a head bearing against said upper end of said bellows.
 3. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said support means comprising a spring clip for gripping engagement with the upper end of said door, a back plate depending from said clip for engaging the inner side of said door, a generally U-shaped housing projecting from opposite side edges of said plate in arcuate bridging relation thereto, said housing having an open upper end and a base plate closing its lower end, said base plate having an aperture therethrough, and a resilient C-clamp projecting from said back plate subjacent said housing, said clamp gripping the periphery of said can, said bellows disposed within said housing with said rigid member slidably extending Through said aperture in said base plate into contact with said valve, said cam pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of said back plate.
 4. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, further defined by said rigid member being of funnel shaped configuration including a bowl and stem depending therefrom, said stem slidably extending through said aperture in said base plate and said bowl engaging the lower end of said bellows.
 5. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, further defined by said first end of said cam having a threaded bore engaged by an adjusting screw, said screw having a head bearing against said upper end of said bellows.
 6. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 5, further defined by a pair of parallel spaced-apart vertically extending guide rails projecting from said back plate to maintain said bellows in a vertical position, said cam being pivotally mounted between the upper ends of said guide rails. 